Here we are at the end of another year, and I love to use this time to reflect on all that has happened in the last 365 days. This year was one of the fullest and busiest of our lives, and a lot of that has to do with all of you and exactly what this blog is all about: home renovation and design. Blogging has taken a backseat this year on account of all the real life projects that have had to take precedence, but there is so much to share that I haven’t had time to share. I will give you a little snapshot here, and hopefully I will have time in 2018 to share more of a real time snapshot of our projects as they happen.

We started the year by selling our first little home in March. It was the home that started this little space on the internet and gave my love for renovation and design a place to blossom. You all were a huge part of that house, and you journeyed with us from the start.

We moved into our second house, and we began the biggest renovation of our lives thus far. In eight short (and yet long) months, we have gutted and rebuilt nearly the entire main floor. This included but was not limited to:

New roof

New windows

Updated plumbing

Rewiring most of the electrical in the main spaces

Refinishing all the existing hardwoods and installing new hardwood in the kitchen and dining.

Taking the kitchen down to the studs and starting over with…

New kitchen cabinets

New appliances

New layout

New pantry

New countertops

New plumbing

New beadboard ceiling

Removing a patio door in the kitchen and installing French doors in the dining room

Vaulting the ceiling in the living and dining spaces and finishing it out with new drywall and fixtures

Custom built-ins in the dining room

Gutting and rebuilding the bathroom with…

New vanity and sink

New flooring

New tub and tile surround

New toilet

New drywall

Painted office, updated light fixture and installed built-in desk

For the first three months of the reno, we lived in the dank, unfinished basement, and for the last month and a half, we lived without a working shower. People warned us that renovating would be hard, but I underestimated just how hard it would be. I have to admit, however, that these before-and-after photos are pretty satisfying.

Around the same time that we decided to buy a new home, I decided (after lots of prayer and preparation) to leave my full-time job to do interior design. I had already worked with a few clients, but I knew it was time to take the leap and work with clients full-time.

As soon as I dove in, it was off to the races, and I’ve had the privilege of working on 24 client’s homes this year with projects ranging from full room renovations to simple furnishing projects. It has been overwhelming and wonderful, and I know it’s such an honor to be able to help other people make their spaces beautiful. I have learned so much about small business ownership and self-employment, and I cannot wait to work with more clients and work even harder to create an amazing client experience in 2018.

I have big dreams and plans for Peach and Pine Home, and I know there is so much to look forward to.

A lot of my projects from the year haven’t been photographed yet, and I can’t wait to share more with you at the top of next year, but here are a few highlights.

Thanks for sticking around even though we have often been too busy to share things properly! I hope you’re following us on Instagram @peachandpinehome; that’s the easiest way to see the progress of our projects.

Cheers to life and to the new year; may your days be merry and bright!